The present invention relates to a leg protection system for preventing legs of an occupant from hitting against an instrument panel and so on in the event of a frontal crash of a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a leg protection system equipped with an airbag that deploys in front of legs of an occupant in a seat, and a vehicle having the leg protection system.
Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 10-315894 has disclosed a leg protection system equipped with an airbag that deploys in front of legs of an occupant in a car seat. The airbag is inflated in front of knees downwardly along a shin.
In the leg protection system, a lower part of an airbag is inflated at a space between an instrument panel/a dash panel and ankles or insteps of the legs for absorbing an impact applied to the ankles or the insteps.
An occupant generally sits on a seat such that in the legs lower than knees, toes are located at forward positions. Therefore, when the airbag deploys downwardly from the knee to the shin, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-315894, the airbag deploys in a direction that the leg moves forward.
Also, in the leg protecting system disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-315894, before the airbag reaches the ankle or the instep, it is possible that the ankle or the instep moves forward to hit the dash panel and so on.
Further, in the leg protecting system disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-315894, there is a space between a lower end of the instrument panel and the dash panel. A lower part of the airbag may be retracted into the space. Therefore, in order to sufficiently receive the ankles or the insteps, it is necessary to increase a capacity and an inner pressure of the airbag, thereby increasing a cost.
In view of the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a leg protection system in which an airbag deploys in a direction opposite to a direction that legs move forward. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the legs from moving forward, and restrain ankles or insteps in an early stage.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a leg protection system having an airbag capable of inflating between legs and an instrument panel, and the airbag is prevented from entering a space between the instrument panel and a dash panel.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.